Inquiry After Victory

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32301, 20 May 1970, Page 4

Inquiry After Victory

1 An inquiry 7 into alleged interference by Crunch to The Pines delayed the pay-out on the Fox Han-, dicap, second leg of the Canterbury Jockey, Club’s on-course double at Riccarton yesterday. Crunch, which was unbeat-; en in his three previous starts, beat The Pines by a 1 nose. After hearing evidence and ’ 1 j—r ———— —r ; —— . I Unbeaten At; Riccarton ; Gay Harmony brought his 1 record to three wins, all at ' Riccarton. from five starts, when he came out on top in 1 the Otira Handicap at Riccar- 1 ■ ton yesterday. I Mr J. J. Morris’s strong 1 Bellborough gelding survived 1 a brilliant late challenge 1 from High Sierra for a neck 1 ,victory. Sea Serpent was Canter- L bury’s best, but was in a gap ' of two lengths and a half 1 in third place. 1 Gay Harmony gave the leading jockey, E. J. Didham, - his eighty-sixth victory for the season. “He ran greenly and was gawking about him: he’s not a ‘made’ horse yet,” Didham said after the race. Didham will again partner Gay Harmony in the Waitaki Gold Cup at Waimate on 1 Saturday. Gay Harmony started from ; near the outside yesterday . and was in front before they went far. Didham found a 1 trailing run for the grey 1 when Kriste went ahead. , Kriste shifted ground to- , wards the outside on straightening for the run home and forced Gay Harmony over , extra ground. When A. D. , Hunt tried to correct Kriste’s j line he momentarily crowded ( Sea Serpent, which had iiji- , proved quickly on the inside, j Sea Serpent saved third by ■, half a head from Bimerah, a < fast finisher from the ruck. Hour of Truth, Kriste, | Court Star, Foreign Aid, and < Cody were next close at hand. I

■ viewing a fiji)l,qjf the race, the judicial committee found that although Crunch hung in down the straight no alter-; ation to the placings was! necessary. . Crunch showed ability to) 'keep his winning record in- 1 I tact for his Southland own-1 ers, Messrs B. R. and D. A. B. ■ Hamilton. ' The sturdy Gore-trained; Bellborough gelding missed) the start slightly, and was iforced fairly wide when get-; I ting closer to the leaders on ! the home turn. G.W. Wright; was obviously in difficulties keping Crunch straight forj the last two furlongs and, with The Pines putting up, plucky resistance, the closest two-sided finish of the day developed. Foxtail was a clear third, saving that position by inches from Wyevern. Crunch completed a course double worth $ll.lO. The first leg, the Buller Hurdles, was easy for the consistent South Canterbury horse, Little Johnny. Little Johnny had earned; bis win after seconds at his three previous starts, the: most recent of them being;

;, behind Golden Promise at i Amberley on Saturday. > Little Johnny was quick to -capitalise on an indifferent si leap by Golden Promise when Ihe was running a close sec>|ond at the third last flight. -(Going to the half-mile the -IWashdyke gelding opened a .’lead of four lengths, and widened that by as much j | again at the end. 1 Golden Promise jumped fast sjin front for a start, but got -jin close at the third, allow- ) ing Little Johnny to remain tlin close touch. si Little Johnny had just gone r I into a short lead when Golden ■ I Promise put in an indifferent ’ leap at the hurdle near the I five furlongs. The same flight ' also found David William on the wrong stride, and with ; this bad jump there ended ’ any winning chance the Ric- , carton gelding might have j had. 5 David William struggled in , for a distant third in a gap , of five lengths from Golden Promise and six lengths clear II of Maliron. sj Celtic Chief dropped his ; j rider at the last hurdle when 'jbeaten off.